Combined hinge and fastener



(No Model.)

L. L. FLETCHER. COMBINED HINGE AND PASTBNER.

Patented Mair. 8

c T L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI L. FLETCHER, OF MALTA, OHIO.

COMBINED HINGE AND FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,318, dated March 8,1898.

Application filed December 5, 1896. Serial No. 614,612. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI L. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Malta, in the county of Morgan and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Combined Hinge and Fastener, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to combined hinges and fasteners; and it has forits object to provide a new and useful device of this type, forming acombined hinge and fastener for coffin-lids or other similar objects,whereby the lid or other object may be lifted at either edge, while theopposite edge maintains its hinged relation to the box or frame to whichit is applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivecombined hinge and fastener which admits of the lid, cover, or otherobject to which the same is fitted bein g entirely removed from itssupport.

WVith these and other objects in View, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical crosssectional View of the upperportion of a casket or box, showing the hinge and fastener in itsapplied position. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail sectional views showing,respectively, different positions of the casket or box lid to which thehinge is applied. Fig. 4: is a detail in perspective of the catch memberof the hinge. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the catch member with thehousingcap removed. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the fixed memberof the hinge. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views showing a modified form ofthe fixed member of the hinge.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate,respectively, the fixed and movable members of the hinge, the member 2being properlytermed a catch member, as the same is designed to have alocking as well as a pivotal connection with the fixed member, so thatthe device will form both a hinge and a fastener for the lid or othersimilar object to which the same is applied.

For convenience in describing the invention the hinge is illustrated asapplied to the lid of a casket or box, and the fixed member 1 of thehinge is adapted to be secured to the upper edge of said casket or boxin a fixed position.

The fixed member 1 of the hinge essentially comprises a fiat base-plate8, provided with oppositely-located screw-holes 4 for receiving thescrews or other fasteners which secure the fixed member in its properapplied position, and said base-plate 3 is cut away at one side, as at5, and is formed at the inner wall of the cut-away portion 5 with anintegral upwardly-disposed hinge-postti, having an outwardly anddownwardly curved hook 7 at its upper end, which hook is designed to006perate with the catch member of the hinge to provide for theinterlocking engagement of the two members and also for the pivotalturning of the catch member on the fixed member, as will be readilyunderstood by reference to the drawings.

The movable catch member 2 of the hinge is designed to be fitted to theunder side of the lid or cover of the casket adjacent to the edgethereof contiguous to the portion of the casket to which the fixedmember 1 is fitted, and the said member 2 is provided with a fiatbase-plate 8, having a plurality of screw-receiving holes 8 and bent atits outer edge to form a right-angularly-disposed guide-flange 9, whichfits against the outside edge of the lid or cover, as clearlyillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Adjacent to the outerguide-flange 9 the base-plate 8 is formed with a post-receiving opening10, communicating at its outer end with a. guide-slot 11, formedlongitudinally in the flange 9 at the point of junction between suchflange and the body of the plate 8. At the inner end of saidpostreceiving opening in the base-plate the latter is provided with anintegral upturned restear 12, against which bears one end of theretracting coiled spring 13, arranged on top of the base-plate 8 andlying within the inner end portion of the longitudinally-disposed slot14 of the flat slidable latch-plate 15. The flat slidable latch-plate 15is normally retracted inward by the spring 13 and has the inner portionthereof guided within a housing cap or plate 16, spanning the plate 15and spring 13 and secured at its edges to the body of the base-plate,said housing cap or plate being provided in the crown thereof'with alongitudinally-disposed seat 17, conforming with the upper side of thespring 13 to assist in properly retaining the latter in place. Thespring-retracted slidable latch-plate 15 of the catch member works fiaton top ofthe baseplate, and the longitudinal slot 14 thereincommunicates with the post-receiving opening 10 of the base-plate. Theouter end portion of the latch-plate slides through the guide-opening 11of the flange 9 and is formed at opposite side edges with thestop-shoulders 18, engaging. against the outer side of the flange 9 tolimit the inward movement of the latch-plate. The said outer end portionof the latch-plate is further provided with an opening 19, in which istied the pull cord or string for drawing said plate outward to releasethe same from the hook 7 of the hingepost 6.

In the event of the sides of the casket or box being very thin orcomposed of fragile material a modified form of the fixed member of thehinge may be employed, as illustrated matic engagement.

in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. In the modified construction of fixedmember referred to the base-plate 3 of the fixed member is formed at oneedge with a pendent flange 21, fitting the inner surface of the casketsides, and from the ends of which flange are projected dependingsecuring-arms 22, provided at their lower ends withright-angularly-disposed terminal spurs or prongs 23, which are driveninto the wood, and thereby obviate the pulling out of the screws used insecuring the other form of fixed member in place.

In using the combined hinge and fastener any desired number of the samemay be fitted to opposite sides of the box and the lid or cover thereof,and in applying such lid or cover the slidable latch-plates 15 of thehinges may be drawn outward to permit the lid or cover to be loweredover the hinge-post 6, after which the latch-plates are-released, sothat the same will spring into engagement with the hinge-posts below theterminal hooks 7 thereof, thereby fastening the lid'or cover securely onthe box or casket. It will be observed that when the latch-plates areretracted to their inward limit of movement the area of the exposedportions of the slots 14 is less than the Width of the hook-terminals 7,thereby preventing the disengagement of said hook-terminals from thelatch-plate until the latter are drawn outward sufficiently far-touncover a sufficient portion of their slots 14 to permit thehook-terminals 7 to readily pass 'therethrough. Whilethe latch-platesmay be drawn outward in engaging the catch members of the hinges withthe fixed members, this is not necessary nor usually resorted to,inasmuch as the rounded form of the hookterminals 7 permits the catchmembers to be forced into engagement therewith, the latchplates slidingoutward to permit of this auto- Should it be desired to lift the lidfrom one side of the casket or box,

the latch-plates of the hinges at that side are pulled outward to permitof their disengagement from the fixed members, after which the lid maybe lifted and the catch members of the hinge at the opposite edges ofthe lid will swing or turn upon the hinge-posts which form the fulcrum.At this point it will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawingsthat when the device acts in the capacity of a hinge one end or wall ofthe slot in the latch-plate-is adapted to hinge or turn in the loop ofthe'open' hook 7.

The construction .of hinge herein described is especially adapted foruse in connection with burial cases or caskets, where it is oftennecessary to obtain access to the casket upon one side or the other andalso where it is necessary at times to quickly remove and replace thelid, all of which results can be conveniently accomplished by the use ofthe particular hinge described.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. A combined hinge and fastener consisting of a fixed member comprisinga base-plate having an integral upwardly-disposed post bent downwardlyat its upper end to form an open hook, and a movable catch membercomprising a base-plate, a slidable latch-plate mounted on thebase-plate and having a longitudinal slot receiving the post and adaptedto have one end or wall thereof hinge in the loop of said hook, and aspring arranged within the slot of the latch-plate and having aconnection at one end with the base-plate, substantially as set forth.

2. A combined hinge and fastener comprising a fixed member having anintegral upwardly-disposed post formed with an outwardly-curved terminalhook at its upper end, and a movable catch member comprising abase-plate provided near its outer edge with a post receiving opening,and a slidable spring-retracted latch-plate mounted on the base-plateand having a longitudinally-disposed slot adapted to receive said post,substantially as set forth.

3. A combined hinge and fastener comprising a fixed member having ahinge -post formed at its upper end with a hook, and a movable catchmember comprising a baseplate provided with a post-receiving opening andat its outer edge with a guide-flange having a longitudinally-disposedguide-slot communicating with said opening, said base-plate beingfurther provided at the inner end of the opening therein with anupturned restear, a fiat slidable latch-plate sliding on the base-platethrough the guide-s1 0t of the guideflange and provided at opposite sideedges of its outer end portion with stop-shoulders, said end to form anopen hook, and a movable member having a slidable slotted latch-plate,one Wall of whose slot is adapted to turn in and out of engagement withthe loop of said hook, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

LEVI L. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

J. F. DAVIS, OHAs. I-I. FAUTS.

